Part 3 ~ The Fixed Carrier Oils

While not as glamorous as essential oils, fixed or carrier oils are the unsung heroes of skincare. Their gentle, protective relationship with the skin makes them a central part of any skincare routine.

Extracted by simple pressing from the reproductive part of the plant, the seeds, unlike the distillation apparatus necessary to recover the essential oils, make the fixed oils universal commodities in all cultures.

Seeds are the reproductive parts of plants that store the nutrition necessary for propagation. 

When we consider the various names of seeds, we can see that they include nuts, kernels, grains, beans, legumes, and even pulps or fruiting bodies like the flesh of an avocado surrounding the seed. 

From Kitchen to Skincare

Olive oil is a kitchen staple, almond oil is a gentle skin moisturizer, and coconut oil is a versatile all-rounder. With their diverse uses, these oils are integral to daily life in every domestic setting, from kitchen to bath to spa, and even in industry and art!

Every culture from every geographic region has its native oils used by indigenous populations: olive oil from the Mediterranean, sunflower and corn from the American heartland, baobab from the African savannah, watermelon seed from the Kalahari, coconut from the Pacific basin, and moringa and sesame from the Indian subcontinent as I said, everywhere!

In the Arctic zones, where plants do not grow, animal fats provide food and protection for the skin and also fall into this oil category of lipid compounds.

Oils of Substance

Fixed oils used in cooking and massage have substance rather than an ethereal aroma as their signature quality. Other names describe them as fixed—they don’t evaporate—or carrier—they carry the essential oils for use on skin.

Unlike essential oils, which are concentrated plant compounds used in small amounts, carrier oils are rich in substance, nutrition, and stored heat. This makes them safe choices for various food preparations and massage applications.

The nutrients that kickstart a plant’s life also provide nourishment for our bodies, making carrier oils a natural and beneficial choice for both cooking and massage.

The True Oils

Fixed oils are true oils and lipids made up of fatty acids organized as triglycerides or three fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule. 

When we think of oils, we often picture pourable liquid substances. However, even plant butters, which are solid at room temperature, are also considered oils. Their unique composition of saturated fatty acids allows them to maintain a solid form when cool.

Butters, with their saturated structure, resist oxidation, making them less prone to going rancid.

However, it's important to remember that all lipid compounds, including oils and butters, are best stored in cool and dark conditions. 

Liquid oils are made up of unsaturated structures called fatty acids. They can oxidize, react with oxygen, and become rancid. Rancid oils aren't suitable for food, as the degradation creates toxic compounds in the body.

It is important to remember that all oils are composed of all types of fatty acids; the dominant type determines the oil's nature.

The following tutorial will introduce the basic elements that make up the structure of the oils.

Saturated oils, solid butters

Plant butters are formed in plants that grow in the earth's tropical regions around the equator. Nature produces these butters in areas where the sun is hot and bright and the seasons remain equal throughout the year.

Butters are predominantly made up of saturated fatty acids, with minor amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, which makes them solid.

Butters, with their diverse textures and colors, protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays. Their saturated nature not only helps maintain moisture in the skin but also acts as a shield against the elements, protecting our skin tissues with natural antioxidant protection.

Unsaturated oils, liquid oils

What makes oils liquid is the fatty acid structure is no longer saturated; carbon chains no longer have all the carbon atoms saturated with hydrogen atoms. Now, where the carbon chain is missing hydrogen, the chain can bend and create the conditions for liquid oils.

The point where the carbon chain is missing hydrogen atoms is replaced by what is called a double bond, which looks like an equal sign (=). Carbon chains can have one, two, three, or more double bonds, increasing the liquidity of the oil.

Oils like olive, the fruit that gave the name ‘oil’ to the ancient world, are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids, which have a single double bond, are abundant in such oils, with Oleic acid being the predominant type.

Oleic acid is one of the most common fatty acids, found in large or small percentages in all oils and even in solid butters.

Monounsaturated oils, found in almond, avocado, apricot, camellia, and macadamia nut, offer protective benefits for the skin. They act as a barrier against the elements and weather, making them a valuable addition to skincare routines.

Healing Fraction

Oils are nearly 100% fatty acids as triglycerides but have another important, if minor, portion that is not fatty acids (lipids, the unsaponifiable portion, or healing fraction. 

Consisting of 1% to as much as 15% of some oils, the color, taste, vitamins, minerals, scent, and other compounds are found in this unsaponifiable portion, a term related to making soap from oil.

To saponify is to make soap; only fatty acids can be turned into soap by saponification.

Oils come in many colors, from dark green to pale yellow to orange to deep red. Every plant produces its own oil with a variety of characteristics and a unique fatty acid profile.